Students protest sharp decline in open category medical seats after SEBC quota

Critics point to the SEBC quota, which they believe unfairly affects open-category students. “The 10 percent reservation is based on the total intake for medical UG courses, which includes 15 percent reserved for the All-India quota in government colleges and 15 percent for management quota in private colleges,” said one concerned candidate. “Ideally, the SEBC seats should have been proportional to state-level admissions alone.”

Students view this situation as unjust. Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative, said, “The SEBC quota was calculated based on the full intake but was ultimately removed from the open category seats, causing a significant impact. While we support affirmative action, the total number of seats should have been increased to mitigate the effect on any single category.”

Another parent representative, Brijesh Sutaria, noted that when the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota was introduced, the number of open category seats was proportionally increased to soften its impact. “However, the state lacks the power to increase seats on its own. The state should have approached the apex body to discuss increasing seat numbers,” he said. Sutaria added that the SEBC quota has severely impacted medical admissions, especially for open category students, calling it “unfair.”

Students plan to address their concerns to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER). Dr. Ajay Chandanwale, Director of DMER, was unavailable for comment.